Beginner's Luck
by Lady Sanna
Summary: The newbie, Agent Leyla Harrison, is assigned to finally work in the field. When she finds out that she is assigned to an X File, her eyes catch something a little more interesting. Little does she know that he's already involved with someone else. MSR.
1. Part I

A/N  
I don't know if Leyla Harrison was in previous episodes, but when she appeared in "Scary Monsters", it got me thinking. Since, she was so obsessed with Mulder, I thought it would be kind of fun to actually see what would happen if she was in the same room as him. So, this is my version and I hope you enjoy it.

Beginner's Luck  
Part I  
Lady Sanna

FBI HEADQUARTERS  
9:20 AM  
WASHINGTON DC

"Sir, I just want to thank you again for putting me on this case," the wide-eyed blond said as she bobbed her head up and down in gratitude.

Skinner gave her a small, awkward smile. "Sure, Agent Harrison."

He knew that Mulder and Scully were going to feel just as awkward as he was feeling with Agent Leyla Harrison on their tails. She was a new agent and she had always requested to be out in the field instead of in a stuffy office. So, he gave her a case, but he wanted to give her one that'll give her a heads up on what is really out there.

Leaning forward, Harrison asked, "Assistant Director Skinner, may I ask you something?"

He shrugged. "Of course."

"What is Agent Mulder really like?" she started. "Is he like what everyone says? Because when I was in the academy, I always heard that he was sort of, well, spooky. He had an obsession with..." Her eyes turned up to the ceiling as she was trying to find the word in her head. "Aliens was it?"

Skinner mentally groaned. Before an agent was going to work a case in the X-Files, this question about Mulder was always brought up. It was like a broken record and it was tiring answering it over and over again.

With a deep breath he answered, "The X-Files is his life's work. Sure, it involves aliens, but there is much more to it than that. Besides, the opinions of others aren't going to affect your work on this case and on Mulder's character, is it, Agent Harrison?"

She shook her head. "No, sir. I was just curious is all."

Skinner's secretary suddenly opened the door and announced that the agents they were waiting for were here. He told her to let them in and they walked in casually with Mulder behind Scully as usual.

"Good morning, Agents," Skinner said, standing up. "This is Agent Leyla Harrison. She'll be joining you two out in the field."

Harrison also stood up, amazed at the man that stood before her. He was absolutely the opposite of what she had heard when they described him. Agent Mulder was tall, attractive, and had a look in his eyes that made her want to melt. When her eyes turned to his partner, she was also surprised. She was expecting a plain redhead that was pretty much a science nerd. But the woman that was standing there was well-poised, professional, and had beautiful features that could stop a man dead in his tracks.

"Agent Mulder. Agent Scully." She shook both of their hands nervously. "I hadn't really been on too many cases since I just graduated a year ago. I'm really looking forward to working with you two. I just hope I won't screw anything up."

They both nodded with a nice smile plastered on their faces. Working on the X-Files could scare any inexperienced agent to quit the FBI and stay at home with a shotgun at their side. Both felt uneasy, not wanting for that to happen to this bright, young woman.

"Well, I'm sure that you'll do fine," Scully assured her.

They all took their seats and Skinner took out the case file and flipped it open.

"You three will be heading to Santa Barbara, California. There has been unusual murders in the past 6 weeks involving these four women." He splayed out four, large photos on his desk of gruesomely, beaten bodies. "The coroner reported that the injuries were all self-inflicted. All of the families stated the same thing. There were no signs of depression, self-mutilation, or anything that would make them suspect that something was wrong. Overall, the four women were healthy mothers who lead happy lives."

"These women weren't in any debt or financial trouble?" Mulder asked.

"We did a background check and nothing came up. There wasn't anything significant on their medical records, they had no criminal records, and they had no disputes with co-workers or anyone else for that matter. It's like they were leading perfect lives."

"A little too perfect, I guess," Harrison added.

Scully's brow furrowed. "So, wait, let me clear this up. All this mutilation happened overnight? By looking at some of these wounds, it seems that a few of them have healed and left a scar." She closed in on one of the photos. "It almost seems like the cuts and bruises are layered on top of the other."

"Let me see." Mulder leaned over and scrutinized it. Sure enough, Scully was right. As soon as he was finished, he passed it over to Harrison.

She took it and a complete look of disgust crossed her face. "Oh my-" She gagged and quickly handed it back to Skinner.

"Leyla, are you sure you still want to be on this case?" Skinner asked, worried that she might faint.

She nodded furiously. "Of course! I just lost control for a moment. Sorry." She smiled weakly.

SCULLY'S APARTMENT  
6:38 PM  
GEORGETOWN, MD

Scully opened her drawers and pulled out some clothes that she was going to be needing on her trip to California. Digging through her pajamas, her fingers felt something smooth and silky. She carefully pulled it out and hung it before her. It was a vibrant red, silk gown with lace on the bottom and a little at the top. It was obviously something that you could easily find in a store like Victoria's Secret. Her eyebrow quirked up as she wondered when she had bought it. Perhaps it was a gift, she thought.

"Wow," she said after a long pause.

Mulder looked over and his jaw dropped, but only for a second. The corner of his lips then turned upward into a sly grin. He got up from the bed and walked toward his partner, stopping right behind her. Slowly, he leaned in towards her ear as she kept on staring at the silk gown.

"So... Is that supposed to be a hint of what I get on my next birthday?" he asked with a boyish grin.

She looked at him with a look of repulse. "In your dreams, Mulder."

Scully rolled up the gown and threw it at his face before heading to the bathroom to pack her toiletries. He chuckled as he caught it before it fell to the floor. Just as Scully had done earlier, he held it up before him and stared at it, thinking God knows what.

After a few minutes of rummaging around and packing, she emerged from the bathroom and saw that Mulder hadn't moved at all. She rolled her eyes and stuffed the extra items in her luggage along with some wash cloths. It was easy to know what to bring and what not to bring now that she had been working with Mulder for seven years. Before, it always seemed as if she forgot _something_ that she needed later on.

She placed her hands on her hips and turned to her partner who was still in the same spot. "Mulder! You're still looking at that thing?"

He jumped. "Huh? Oh, sorry." He had obviously been daydreaming, but he didn't actually notice how long he had been daydreaming. "You know, Scully, I didn't think you would ever be the type to seduce someone with _this_." He wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Shut up, Mulder." Scully shook her head and went over to her closet to pick out her suits. Sighing, she said, "I haven't been to the beach in a long while. Too bad we don't have any free time while we're there. I remember once.."

An idea suddenly popped into Mulder's head. He carefully folded the gown into a small rectangle and walked quietly over to Scully's luggage, slipping it underneath her other clothes while at the same time, pretending to listen to her story. Just as his hand was free, she turned around and stopped mid-sentence.

"Mulder? What were you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing." He replied with a cheesy smile.

She gave him one of her trademark looks that said, "Tell me or else."

"Seriously! I was just, uh, checking to see if you had your flashlight."

Scully raised the flashlight in her hand to show him. "It's right here."

"Great! Now, you're prepared."

Her expression stayed the same as she placed the flashlight in the bag. "If I find something in this bag that has any relation to goo or to some kind of plastic bug, the next thing you'll see is my flashlight coming at your head."

Mulder put up his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, but I assure you that I didn't put anything like that in there."

"You better have not," she replied as she proceeded to get ready for bed.

He let out a breath of air and dropped his hands. He didn't think he was going to get out of that one so easily. Yawning, he moved over to the bed and made himself comfortable there. He then rested against the pillows with his arms behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles.

"So, uh, what do you think about Agent Harrison?" he asked.

"I think she's nice, but one thing is for sure," she said as she closed the side cabinet and started brushing her teeth.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

She stopped brushing and tried to speak as comprehensible as she could with toothpaste in her mouth. "Well, she really comfidant abou thith cathe," was all she could muster out without swallowing the toothpaste.

Mulder let out a grunt and turned on his side. His eye caught sight of a picture with a dark cherry frame around the edges, sitting on the side table. He reached over and took it, looking at it with a raised eyebrow. It was a family photo taken a long time ago when Scully was probably about ten years old. They were all huddled together, smiling, on a dock with the wind whipping at their hair.

"What do _you_ think about her?" Scully asked, now done with her oral hygiene routine.

He placed the picture back in its spot. "She's brave. I'll give her that much. I mean, just getting out of the academy and working on an X-File like this? I'm wondering why Skinner put her on it in the first place."

Once, Scully was done in the bathroom, she flipped the bathroom light switch off and walked back into the bedroom. She could see that Mulder was starting to doze off when his head started to fall to the side and his eyelids kept on fluttering shut.

"Mulder, you're not planning to spend the night, are you?" She asked as she zipped up her suitcase and dragged it to the door. "Mulder?" She walked back to the bed with her hands on her hips.

"Hm... What?" he said, sleepily.

"Did you even pack? Come on, we have to leave really early in the morning. So, I suggest that you get ready now, so that we're not late... Again."

"Aw, Scully, you're kicking me out?" He got up, lazily, and started making his way to the door with her following close behind.

"Yes, but only because you need to keep your job as much as I do."

"Fine, fine." Mulder opened the door and turned around to face her as she stood in the doorway. "...I love you," he said just as he did when he was in the hospital a year ago.

Scully smirked. "Goodnight, Mulder," she replied.

She then closed the door and let out a deep breath.

"Wait, I don't even get a goodnight kiss?" she heard him say behind the door.

LEYLA HARRISON'S APARTMENT  
8:06 PM

Leyla practically squealed when she got home from work. She couldn't believe that she was just assigned out in the field with the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. Just thinking about him gave her butterflies. It was like she was back in high school, secretly obsessing about the cute quarterback on the football team. She let out a dreamy sigh and fell back onto her bed.

"If only," she said.

She turned her head to look at the clock and jumped up quickly seeing what time it was. Being late was not a very good impression, so she grabbed one of her large suitcases and started filling it with some of her belongings.

The phone rang suddenly and she rushed over to the side table to answer it. On the other end was her friend, Gabe Rotter.

"Hey, Leyla! Did you get the case?" he asked.

"Yes! I'm so excited! We're going out to California tomorrow to investigate."

"That's cool. So, who are you going with?"

"I'm going with Agents Mulder and Scully. They work down in the X-Files unit."

Gabe started cracking up. "The X-Files?"

"Why? What's wrong with the X-Files?" she asked with a hint of anger in her tone.

"Well, it's just that all I've heard about that unit is that they investigate sci-fi crap and that the agents that work there are, you know, cracked!" he explained. "Geez, I feel sorry that you even have to spend time with them under one roof."

"That's not true!" she said as her voice rose. "Have you even met them?"

"I think their reputations say enough."

"How could you say that? I thought you would be a little more considerate about it. Gosh, that's really low, Gabe."

"What?"

"And besides, I think Agent Mulder is very smart and he's a lot better looking than you'll ever be!" Leyla slammed down the phone and crossed her arms.

On the other side, Gabe sat there astounded that in just one day, this Agent Mulder stole Leyla's heart. How could she already like _him_ in such a short amount of time when it took him more than a year for them to be just friends? Slowly, he put down the receiver and hung his head.

He had to win Leyla back.

TO BE CONTINUED

The X-Files and its characters © 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and FOX


	2. Part II

A/N  
This is probably the longest chapter of a story I have ever written. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I had writing it.

Beginner's Luck  
Part II  
Lady Sanna

Mulder, Scully, and Agent Harrison all boarded their flight to California the next day. Nothing too much was said, except that Harrison kept on babbling about how excited she was on her first case out in the field with Agent Mulder... And of course, with Agent Scully too. She couldn't stop gazing at him when he talked to her and she just had to always catch a little glimpse of him whenever he walked by.

To her dismay, on the airplane, Mulder and Scully had seats together, while hers was a row in front of them. Even more bad luck came when a very large man with a Hawaiian shirt on and shorts sat next to her. He was the epitome of 'tourist'. He had a large camera hanging from his neck, a fanny pack at the waist, and hat that had a fishing logo on it. In his hand was a burrito and he was taking huge bites out of it like a hungry animal that hadn't eaten for days. It scared the living daylights out of her.

When he had settled down, he looked over at her and gave her a smile. She winced when she saw that bits and pieces of the burrito was stuck in his teeth.

"Hi, the name's Ted." He stuck out his hand.

Timidly she shook it. "Hi, um, my name's Leyla." She gave him a weak smile.

He nodded and finished up the rest of his food and looked for his napkin, but unfortunately, he wasn't able to locate it. So, he just shrugged and wiped his hands on his shirt.

"So, where are you headed?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"Oh, I'm just heading to L.A. to visit some friends," she replied.

"Yeah, I'm headed to L.A. too, but I'm going to take a bus to my hometown to visit my family. My sister is getting married soon." He dug in his pocket for something. "Do you want to see what she looks like? She's a real beauty."

"Uh, sure."

When he took out his wallet and flipped through some cards, he found what he was looking for. Smiling at the picture, he handed it to Harrison, pointing to the woman on the photo.

"There she is!"

He was right, she thought. On the picture was a tall and slender woman with long, curly brown hair. She was standing next to Ted and in front of her was, she assumed, their family pet. They were like complete opposites, but she could kind of see the features that they both shared.

"You know, it's kind of weird, but this picture was taken about three years ago. I haven't seen her since." His eyes turned sorrowful and his lip quivered a little. "I had lost contact with my family those three years and I'm not exactly sure why or how, but somehow, we found each other again."

"It must have been hard," she whispered.

He nodded.

Harrison looked at the photo again and all of a sudden, she felt a deep sadness for what this man had been through. He had obviously missed his family a lot and he probably spent many nights feeling lost. She handed back the photo with the vision of his sister's face etched in her thoughts.

Once the plane landed a few hours later, the agents grabbed their luggage, rented two cars, and headed to their hotel that was located right in front of the Santa Barbara beach. The hotel was actually partially run by the FBI, since so many had stayed there for long periods of time. The owner signed an agreement with the Bureau and let the agents stay at a much lower price.

When the trio entered the lobby, Mulder immediately went up to the check-in counter. Scully excused herself to the bathroom and Harrison followed Mulder, observing and learning.

"Hi, I need to check-in please," Mulder said.

"Sure. Do you have a reservation?" The man asked.

"Yeah, it's under Fox Mulder."

The man behind the counter typed it in and clicked on the name. "It says here that you reserved one room with one queen bed for two people. Is that correct?"

Harrison quirked up her eyebrow at the statement, wondering if he had done that on purpose. Mulder mentally slapped himself. He had totally forgotten to change the reservations.

"Oh, well, that must be a mistake," he added.

"No, Sir. It says it right here," the man pointed to the screen.

Then, Scully appeared and joined Mulder at his side. "Anything wrong, Mulder?"

"No, it's just that I, uh.." He suddenly felt hot as he could feel all eyes on him, waiting for a good answer. "I'll just book another room then. Sorry about that."

He inwardly groaned. 'Nice one, Mulder.'

LOCAL CORONER'S OFFICE  
2:18 PM

The three decided to split up. Mulder went to the crime scene accompanied by a deputy whereas Scully and Harrison went to the coroner's to autopsy the bodies. Harrison was hesitant at first, but she had the determination to get used to seeing blood and whatnot.

As Scully put on her lab coat and looked for the scalpel, Harrison cringed at the sight of the four women's bodies lying on metal tables with white sheets drawn over the faces. Slowly, she walked over to the one that Scully was going to autopsy first and prayed to God that she wouldn't throw up.

"Are you ready for this?" Scully asked, before pulling the sheet down.

Harrison nodded with a frightened look. Her hands curled up into fists as she rocked back and forth a little, trying to calm her nerves. It wasn't her first time watching an autopsy, but every time she watched, she ran out of the room and right into the bathroom.

In a single movement, Scully drew back the sheet to the waist, revealing a deeply scarred body with bumps and bruises everywhere. It was even hard to recognize the face. When Leyla saw this, her eyes became wide and she stood there like a statue, unmoving.

"Um, Agent Scully?"

"Yes?" she replied, starting always with the Y-incision on the body.

Harrison started to sway a bit. "W-why is the room getting darker?"

Just as Scully looked back up, Harrison fainted and fell on the floor. Stripping off her latex gloves, she rushed over to her side and tried to wake her up.

"Agent Harrison?" She tried shaking her. "Leyla? Can you hear me?"

---

Meanwhile, Mulder and Deputy O'Donnell scoured the area where the crime was committed. It was in a well-manicured home that belonged to a friendly, organized neighborhood. A few kids rode their bikes out in the street and the others played basketball. The neighbors seemed nice, but once Mulder had asked if they knew anything about that particular house, it was almost like they became a different person. Their smile turned upside-down and the air around them seemed to be full of mystery. Instantly, they both knew that they were all hiding something.

The house was abandoned after the death of the family member. They stated that they couldn't live in a house that would forever remind them of what had happened. In just a few days, they had everything packed up and ready to go. Only a few farewells to neighbors were exchanged and they left to live up in Seattle, Washington.

Everyone's background was checked and they were all clean. Nothing significant or important enough to trigger a murder or suicide. This case was soon becoming a cold case file; forever to be locked into a file cabinet filled with other unsolvable cases.

When Mulder and the deputy entered the home, nothing was left behind. The police had already examined the house, but nothing came up. They certainly couldn't use fingerprint samples, since all the samples were from the family. DNA evidence was pretty much futile.

"I don't know what you'll find here, Agent Mulder," O'Donnell commented. "We've searched everything. We have nothing to conclude that this was a murder, but in fact, a suicide."

"I'm not ready to write that down in my report just yet, Deputy," he told him. "I just have a strong feeling that something is here and it's right under our noses."

They moved to the second floor and into the victim's room. Inside, they found a metal bed frame that was of the few things that was left behind. It was situated in the middle of the bedroom, pushed up against the east wall. The frame was simple with nicely, designed rods at each corner.

"I wonder why they left this here," Mulder wondered aloud. "I mean, why didn't they throw it away?"

The deputy shrugged and just stood in the doorway as Mulder carefully inspected the frame. Something was telling him that all the evidence needed was in that very room. He checked the knobs attached to the rods. The paint was chipped, or rather, rubbed off at the point where the knob and the rod were sealed. The police must have ignored it since they were told that personal items were once hung there before.

"Huh," Mulder said, thinking about a few possibilities that were running through his head.

This perked up the deputy's attention. "What'd you find?"

Mulder didn't answer his question, but instead asked, "Have you ever used a black light in this room?"

"No, I-"

A noise from somewhere inside the house interrupted him. They both looked at each other and quietly drew their guns out from their holsters. O'Donnell was leading out and checked in the bathroom first, but no one was there. Mulder then went into the master bedroom. What he found was a complete surprise to him.

"Hey, aren't you Ted?" Mulder asked, putting back his gun.

O'Donnell joined him. "You know this man?"

Ted's round face was red from crying. He was still in his Hawaiian-Tourist outfit with a camera around his neck. At his feet was a broken, glass frame with the shards scattered about. Three years and he was alone once more.

He turned around and sniffed, trying to regain his composure. "What happened here?" he asked in a small voice.

"Sir, is this your family's house?" the deputy asked.

He nodded solemnly. "I was supposed to be here for my sister's wedding... I just don't understand why everyone and everything is gone."

"How about you come with me and we'll talk about it, okay?" O'Donnell offered.

Ted nodded once more.

Before they left, Mulder placed a hand on Ted's shoulder and gave him a reassuring nod. Ted looked back at him, his eyes red, and followed the deputy. After, Mulder picked up the frame and looked at it. It was a picture of Ted with the rest of the family around him. His brow furrowed when he saw, what looked like, more brothers and sisters. They all looked similar, except for one that seemed perfect.

---

"Agent Scully?"

"...Yes?"

"When you met Agent Mulder, what were your first thoughts?" Harrison asked, sitting in a seat far from where Scully was performing the autopsy.

She looked up, her goggles pushed up to her hairline. "Well, I guess you could say, I wasn't the least disappointed." Finishing up and writing the rest of her report, she started to clean up. "That's one thing for sure."

"Disappointed? What do you mean by that?" Her eyes followed Scully around as she walked to and fro trying to get everything back in order.

"What I mean is, is that I was glad that I wasn't stuck with someone other than Agent Mulder." She placed the scalpel into the biohazard bin.

Harrison remained quiet for her to go on, eager to hear what she had to say next.

"He was different, full of passion. I'd never met another man like him," she told her.

"So, you liked him the moment you saw him," Leyla concluded.

"Yes and no. At first, I thought he was a sci-fi nerd, looking for things that didn't exist. But now, it's all different. My opinion of him is pretty much the opposite." Scully said, taking off her lab coat and joining Harrison.

"Yeah, same here," she sighed dreamily. "Agent Scully..." Leyla turned to meet her eye to eye. "Do you think he's _involved_ with anyone?"

Scully's eyebrow raised. This was going to be difficult to answer. She couldn't tell her, not with the FBI waiting at her heels. Word would get out and who knew what could happen. Having Skinner breathing on their necks was hard enough. Even then, they hoped that it wouldn't show at the meetings or in the office.

"..Well, I-"

Harrison cut her off. "Because I was thinking of asking Agent Mulder to dinner with me tonight, since I knew he was the strong kind of shy type."

"I don't think this would be a good time to-"

"So, I wanted to take the first step! I think we kind of have a connection going on. I can just feel it. Can you feel it, Agent Scully?"

All at once, Scully felt extremely sorry for this young woman, but at the same time, she just felt like laughing. She wasn't cruel or anything, but a connection? It was only a day, since they've all met.

"Look Mulder is-" Scully was once again cut off when the subject of the matter came in. "Speak of the devil."

Mulder gave her a confused look. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh no, we were just talking about you," Leyla flashed him a smile.

"Yes, and I need to show you something that I found," Scully said, quickly changing the subject,

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a ziploc with four twisted, metal objects contained inside. Mulder took it and his brow furrowed, wondering what to make of it.

"Where'd you find these?" he asked.

"I found it in all four bodies, one in each," she began. "Do you know what it is?"

His mind searched for an answer.

Harrison gave one look at it and spoke up. "It's an object of witchcraft... deadly witchcraft. I remember reading about it for class in ancient history." Suddenly her eyes became wide with fright. "It was meant to ward off evil spirits, making the body 'pure' as they would put it."

Both agents looked at her in amazement. Sure, she seemed naive at times, but when it came to facts, she had it straight.

She continued. "I've read about people whose had those implanted in them. They wrote about how they continually threw up every night, making them become underweight. It was like the bad spirits never left them."

"Kind of like what happens after an exorcism," Scully added.

"Sort of, but they weren't possessed! Well, at the least, they knew that they weren't possessed."

"So, how did they end up?" Mulder asked.

"Dead," she said simply. "Not too many people hear about these kinds of things. It's really a hush-hush matter, but I think this could solve our case."

Scully shook her head. "But we still need to find out who did this to them and why. I mean, why would someone want to be 'pure'?"

SANTA BARBARA SHERIFF'S OFFICE  
5:46 PM

They entered into the room where Ted was sitting. It wasn't one of those uncomfortable, small rooms in which they interrogate someone. It was much more spacious and decorated. A sofa was pushed up against the wall and two chairs were placed in front of that. A few plants and scenic paintings adorned the walls of the room, making the it seem more relaxing. On the right side of the couch, Ted sat there, stoic.

The three agents walked in and greeted him. Introductions were made, even though they had met briefly before. When Ted looked up, he felt a little more at ease when he spotted Leyla. Even though they had only spent a few hours together, it was nice to see some familiar faces.

"Is that really you, Ted? Do you remember me?" Leyla asked, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of him, while Mulder and Scully also took the remaining seats.

He nodded. "I was so excited to finally get to see my sister again. I just can't believe she's gone."

"I know it's hard," Leyla replied, her tone filled with sorrow.

After a few seconds of silence, Mulder cleared his throat. "Not to be insensitive, but Ted, I need to ask you a few questions," he began. "Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt your sister?"

"...No," he replied flatly.

"What about her fiancé? Do you know anything about him?"

"He was her best friend since she was in high school. I know that he wouldn't want to kill her. He was a good man."

Then, Scully spoke up. "Wait, what about your family?"

"What about them?"

She detected a little bit of repulse in his tone. "Would _they_ want to hurt her?"

He looked down.

"Ted?"

He closed his eyes and tried to shut out his tears. His whole face started to turn red and his body started to shake.

"They were the reason that prevented me from seeing my sister for three years."

"But why?" Mulder asked.

"...My family believed in a different kind of witchcraft. They and a few friends of theirs had done something terrible in the past to offend their 'gods' and to make up for it, they made sacrifices. It was like what they did in ancient Bible times, but they twisted it into ways that are unimaginable," he was able to say.

"And she was that perfect sacrifice," Harrison whispered.

The police handled the rest of the case from there and thanked the agents for their work. The black light was used at the crime scene, and splatters of blood were detected on all the walls. It was horrific. Later, after digging even deeper, they found a hidden basement. Inside were all the elements of ritualistic activities and enough evidence to put the family and their friends in jail.

Ted was relieved that it was finally over. He never spoke about what his parents did secretly, but they had crossed the line. He was determined to find them and put them were they belonged.

7:38 PM

Back at the hotel, the three agents were all packing to head back to Washington DC. They had surprisingly solved the case quickly. Without Ted, they probably would have been stuck at a dead end also.

After Harrison had finished packing, she told Scully that she was going to look around for a nice restaurant to invite Mulder to. Once again, she tried to stop her, but it didn't work. She was out the door with a puff of smoke behind her.

Scully sighed. If she wasn't going to listen, then that would be her fault, she reasoned. Feeling around in her suitcase for her bath products, her fingers glided across something smooth. Her eyebrow arched upward and she pulled it out.

Her mouth dropped and realized what had really happened when she caught him near her suitcase. "If that's how he wants to play, then fine by me."

A mischievous grin spread across her face. She then shut her suitcase, the article of clothing in her hand, and walked into the bathroom. Mulder was going to have the surprise of his life.

---

Mulder stripped off his overcoat and loosened his tie when he entered his own hotel room. He quickly turned on the TV, and waited for the baseball game to come on. All year, he had been waiting for this exact moment. Now was the time that people had all been talking about. Even the news was reporting on it frequently.

Excited, he plopped down on the bed, made himself comfortable and turned up the volume. Nothing was going to distract him now.

Right outside his door, Scully listened in, making sure that he was there. Slowly, she unlocked the door and opened it. Mulder hadn't heard her over the blaring of the TV and kept on watching. She tiptoed past the bathroom, trying to not make any noise with her heels, and to the end of the small hallway. She stopped to where she could see him and he couldn't see her.

It was now or never, she thought.

---

"Oh, Mulder," Scully called out in a playful voice.

She then stuck out her bare leg and swung it teasingly, before she stepped out from behind the corner. She smiled a vixen's smile and walked toward him, her hips swaying with each step.

"Wha-" His jaw dropped at what he saw.

Mulder watched her, surprised and utterly shocked. She was in the red nightgown that he had slipped into her suitcase as a joke. Now that she was actually in it, he didn't feel like it had been a bad idea to put it in there in the first place. As she made her way towards him, his heart started racing.

His eyes kept on moving back and forth between two of his greatest loves, sports and the woman before him. It was either he watch the game that he had been waiting forever for or spend an evening with Scully. He argued with himself in his head, hopelessly trying to find out what to do next.

"Scully, this is too cruel."

---

Meanwhile, Leyla put on her evening gown and pulled up her hair in a fancy chignon. She wanted to look as beautiful as she could for Agent Mulder. Whenever she talked to him and he looked at her with his beautiful emerald eyes, she just felt like melting. Her knees weakened and she tried hard not to swoon while they were working on the case, but now that they were done, it would be a whole different story.

She always wondered why Agent Scully and Mulder never became a couple. They were both attractive and they got along well. The fact that they weren't 'together' always seemed to be a mystery. Maybe they just aren't each other's type, she guessed.

Leyla checked herself once more in the mirror before leaving as she grabbed her purse and coat along the way. Once she got to the door, she knocked and waited. No one answered. Her brow furrowed and she leaned against the door to hear for any sounds. Faintly, she could hear that the tv was on. She knocked once more, but still no one came. Then, she turned the knob, and surprisingly, it was open.

Suddenly, she had this compulsion to look inside, you know, just in case he was hurt or something. Quickly, she made her way down the short hallway.

"Agent Mul-" Her eyes widened at the scene before her and she instinctively put her hand on her mouth in shock.

Apparently, both Mulder and Scully had 'other' plans for the evening.

Scully broke away from the kiss when she heard another voice in the room. "Agent Harrison!" She quickly pushed, or rather threw, Mulder off of her and got off the bed, trying to pull down her nightgown.

Mulder grunted as he landed on his back on the other side of the bed, the air almost knocked out of him.

"I, uh-" Leyla tried to say something, but she just couldn't. She could feel herself becoming weaker and her vision started to darken. Then, all at once, she fainted.

Scully was not prepared for _that_ to happen. Her doctor instincts instantly took over and she rushed to Harrison's side.

Mulder put his hands on his face in disbelief of what had just occured. "Oh, great." At that very moment, he was probably the most disappointed man on the face of the earth.

---

Later on, the women returned to their own room. Scully tried to forget what had happened that evening and was trying desperately to fall asleep. While on the other hand, Leyla was disheartened and wide awake, mentally cursing herself for being so naïve. So, Mulder and Scully were 'together', she thought.

"Talk about beginner's luck," she whispered outloud.

Outside the room, a bellboy checked to make sure that he was in the right place. He then, took out a small, white teddy bear and placed it in front of the door, along with a card. It read:

"To: Miss Leyla Harrison  
I'm sorry. Please give me another chance.  
From: Gabe"

CASE CLOSED: JANUARY 26, 2006

The X-Files and its characters © 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and FOX


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